The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-05
CHIEF-JUsTICE WAITE.
Personal Gossip About the Most Noted Jurist
of the United States.

to-day. He was eligible to retirement just one
| year ago, and he could then have left the bench
| and have drawn his 80 900 year for the rest
| of his life Like Justices Field, Bradley and
Miller, he prefers to his salary, rather than
| receive 1t as a pensioner. and we have on the
| Supreme Bench Of the United States the curious
| instance of four hearty old men working away.
| day after day. when they could receive the same
amount of pay for doing nothing. Chief-justics
| Waite promises to work for many years to come.
| He mas no intention of resigning his position,
and his health is better now than it has been for
years He has recovered from his sickness of
two years ago, and he looks more like man OF
sixty than of seventy-one
His black eye is bright, and his strong face is
| almost free from wrinkles A thick growth of
| dark iron gray bair covers his head, and full
beard of black mixed with silver, falls upon his
chest. He has splendid physique or
carriage has all the dignity that should pertain
| to the head of the judiciary.
His face is striking one. The forehead is
broad and full. though not remarkably high.
The eyebrows are dark and heavy. and the eyes
which look out from under Thorn sparkle with
the feeling of the soul behind them. Sometimes
they grave aud serious. AT others they
twinkle with laughter, and when Waite laughs
the twltching of a smile is about his strong,
firm mouth. This mouth is full of character,
and the nose above IL is large enough to be that
of great man. l took a good look at him as he
sat upon the supreme bench to-day. Hs has the
central seat in the row of the eight grave
seniors who comprise the present Supreme
Court, and the old-fashoned, high backed ma
hOgony chair in which he sits is directly under
the golden American eagle which looks down
from the Supreme Court gallery. This eagle
has what looked to me like a golden snake in its
mouth and if it should let it fall the snake
would drop upon the busby hair of the Chief
justice Fastened to the eagles talons is the
key to an arched canopy of royal purple silk
and the Chief-iustice has thus backs ground
like that of king upon his throne These
decorations. however are the only ostentatious
things about him. He wears his robe, 1t is true,
like the toga of Roman Senator. but there IS
nothing of the snob about him, and he is not
N "a
He shows himself human as he sits upon tho
bench and he will laugh at the joke OF a lawyer
listens closely to the evidence presented TO the
court asks questions now and then and not in
frequently puzzles the young lawyers by his IN
terrogatories.
Chief justice Waite is a very kind-heart.d
man, and it is probable that he would pardon
serious informalities in young lawyer. though
he would hardly do SO in man of experience
Our Supreme Court is very careful of its dig
nifty, and il would decidedly resent anything
which compromised this Cnief-justce Waite,
while he is simple in his manners never forgets
that he is Chief-justice of the Supreme Court,
and he carries the dignity of justice into his
social life. He is fond of society. and l have
often saen him with his pretty daughters at
White House reception. He lives very nicely
at Washington and owns a big brown-stone
house just next to the Mexican legation; and
within a stones throw of the Arlington Hotel:
He entertains frequently, and gives dlnpers and
receptions during the season.
The Waite family is one OF the Oldest families
in the country and the coat-of- arms granted to
it bears the date of 1872. Thomas Wayte who
was a member of Parliament. signed the death
warrant of Charles III, and the family moved to
this country soon after the restoration. It was
about thirty years after the landing of the Pill
grims that Thomas Wayte settled at Lyme,
Conn, and this mans son was one OF the first
presidential electors after the war of the revo-
luton and cast his vote for George Washington
Judge Waite's father ief-justce of the
Supreme Court of Connecticut, and he studied
law under Matthew Griswold. one of the most
noted statesmen of early days Like Judge
Waite, he was a graduate of Yale. and like
Judge Waite he was emiuenL as jurist. He
left the Supreme Bench, however, at the age of
seventy. and he died at eiehty-two. If Chief
justice Waite lives as long ne will come within
two years of outlasting the century.
Waite's father gave him good education. He
entered Yale at seventeen, and he graduated IN
the same class with William NJ. Evarts. Edwards
Pierrepont and Professor Benjamin Sillman.
Years afterwards. when he had moved to Toledo,
O., and made a reputation there, and Evarts had
gone to New York, the two met as Representa-
tives of the United States in the arbitration at
Geneva. This was, think. his first entrance
upo his national career He was known as
successful practitioner at Toledo, and had been
a member Of the Ohio Legislature, but it was
not until 1872 that the people at large know of
his existence.
He returned to Toledo at the close of the ar
bitration, became member of the constitution
al convention of the State of Ohio. and two
years later President Grant to the surprise of
all, sent in his name to the Senate as the sue
of Chief-justice Chase. Waite was sur
prised TO receive the nomination. 1t came en-
trely without solicitation on his part and with
out pressure on the part of his friends 1t was
confirmed unanimously. and Charles Sumner.
John Sherman, George r Edmunds and Allen
g. Thurman made speeches in his favor. He
took the oath of Office March A. 1874, just about
year after he had been admitted to practice
in the Supreme Court of the United States
Judge Waite is a man who has made a success
presidential nor any political bee has ever
buzzed in his thick thatch of dark hair and he
declined to be a candidate for the presidency in
Ex-R tat of al
that he made the address of welcome to Grant
on the occasion of his visit to Toledo. This ad-
dress full of good and free from
adulatIon that Grant was delighted with it. He
had been pleased with Waite's action at Geneva,
and he knew Waite to be man of the utmost
probity and no political aspirations. He
tended his inquiries and concluded that he was
the aman to be appointe Chief Justice Of the
United States, and sent in his name to the SEN
ate. Waite accepted It and the country gained
by his act.
Waite came to Toledo in 1850 and he had
very good law practice in a very short time. He
tried Dig cases, but charged only small fees and
the result is that though he is well to do, be is
not rich man. He is worth probably 5000, 600,
and his house here would sell for SAC, 900 under
the hammer. He received one fee of $40 900 for
his services in the Atlantic & Great Western
railroad cases. and he has some property in
Toledo.
One of Judge Waites sons still lives in
Toledo. and he has wife and daughter with
him in Washington. Miss Mary Waite is one of
the bright girls of Washington society, and
Wate's home life is pleasant could be
imagined. Both the Chief-justl and his wife
are active members of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, and the family is godly one Waites
great-grandmother. though she was noted for her
beauty, religious that she never allowed
any cooking sweeping in her house On the
the Sabbath, and the family ate their Sabbath
dinners cold
Chef-justice Waites wife is his second cousin
and her name before marriage was Amelia
Warner. She came from Lyme, Conn, where |
Waite was borne. and she was beauty and
belle in early life and she is now, as far as her
health will permit, of the society leaders of
Washington. She was the greateranddaughter |
of Colonel Samuel Selden, a distinguished Off |
Ger of the revolution. and Marie Seiden, grand |
daughter of this same Colonel Selden, was |
Chief Justice Waite's mother.
A very pretty and quaint wall space can be |
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paper or hardware paperin plain color. following |